Wolfer also decried the conditions of the old prison, which by then was overcrowded, damp, poorly ventilated, and infested with cockroaches and bedbugs. He succeeded in getting the Minnesota Legislature to authorize funds for a new facility as the first decade of the 20th century drew to a close. Closure and later history The prison closed in 1914 upon relocation to the new facility in Bayport. The manual labor facilities and the warden's house remained in use, however. The rest of the complex was demolished in 1936. The Warden's House was transferred to the Washington County Historical Society in 1941 for use as a museum. Prisoners continued making twine at the old site into the 1970s, when the factory buildings were finally sold off. A dairy company operated out of them for decades, ultimately selling the property back to the city of Stillwater in 1996. There were hopes to convert the buildings into a hotel and conference center, but those plans fell through and the complex stood vacant. In 2002 a new set of developers was poised to renovate the site into apartments and condominiums. However, on September 3, 2002, the three-story factory and a one-story warehouse were destroyed in a massive fire. Though the factory had a brick veneer, both buildings had internal wood frames. Fire departments from nearly a dozen cities responded, but flames were shooting over into the air and suppression efforts shifted to protecting nearby buildings such as the Warden's House. A few days later two men in their early 20s from Saint Paul came forward to say they and a friend had entered the vacant complex on the 3rd to explore and look for evidence of haunting. The friend, 18-year-old Peter Weyandt, wandered off by himself and then insisted they leave in a hurry. Weyandt reportedly claimed on the ride back that he'd started a fire, but his friends assumed he was joking until they got home and saw the news on TV. Weyandt was arrested and charged with second-degree arson. He stated that he'd set a piece of cardboard on fire out of boredom. Weyandt pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 180 days in jail. No charges were filed against his companions. Despite the fire, redevelopment plans for the site proceeded. In 2003 the $2.1 million sale was finalized for construction of the Terra Springs condominium complex. The adjacent residence of the prison's wardens